ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. field — a subject
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. kid — child
  10. row — a line
  11. field — for sport
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. mine — for digging
  15. kid — to tease
  16. current — of water
  17. field — farmland
  18. current — electric
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. last — finally
  21. last — to go on
  22. current — happening now
  23. last — final
  24. suit — clothes

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com